part of the powder on the deck, discharged the piece by firing his pistol at the priming ; when the flash, communicating to the loose powder on deck, and thence to the cartridges under the sail, caused an explosion that killed or wounded 19 persons, including Lieutenant Blyth himself, who was blown into the sea, but afterwards reached one of his boats. He had previously been wounded in the shoulder by a French soldier, and was burnt in his face, hand, and foot, by the explosion. This disaster, fatal as it was to the British on board the outermost gun-boat, did not save the other three from capture. In 10 minutes they were compelled to surrender, with the loss of two men killed and 10 wounded.

In the attack, the British lost two killed and nine wounded, including among the latter Lieutenants Blyth and Slout, and Messieurs Millet and Muggridge. Lieutenant Slout had been dreadfully wounded by the second gun-boat's 12-pounder, which put two grape-shot through his thigh and one through his leg. The wounds in the thigh were so high up, that there was no chance of saving this young officer's life, but by taking off the leg at the hip-joint. To this painful and precarious operation Lieutenant Slout would not submit, and soon died from the effects of mortification. With respect to Mr. Muggridge, although, in case of being disabled, not belonging to the royal navy, he could expect no pension from the government, that gallant young seaman had volunteered his services : his wound, fortunately for him, was not dangerous. Of those blown up by the accident, three died the next day ; and several were dreadfully scorched, including Lieutenant Moore of the marines. Having thus achieved their very gallant exploit, Lieutenant Blyth and his party, with their boats and prizes, returned to the little squadron off the island of Heligoland. As a reward for his behaviour on the occasion, Lieutenant Blyth was promoted to the rank of commander.

The small island of Anholt in the Cattegat, which, it will be recollected, was captured from the Danes in May, 1809, * became this year the scene of a very splendid exploit. The British garrison at present upon it consisted of 350 royal marines and 31 marine artillery ; the marines under the command of Captain Robert Torrens of that corps, and the whole under Captain James Wilkes Maurice of the navy, the governor of the island, and the officer who, six years before, had so distinguished himself in his defence of the Diamond rock. The island of Anholt, in the languishing state of commerce occasioned by the rigorous edicts of Buonaparte, was found very useful to England as a depot and point of communication between her and the continent. Whether Napoleon instigated the Danes to aid his views by expelling the British from Anholt, or that the Danes